Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-03-03

derringer under the bedclothes Your rush
ing in from your peaceful pastoral pursuits
in the barn, with a pitchfork in one hand
and the girl in the other, and dear old
nanny sympathizing all round and trying
to make everything comfortable"
Il should not be alive to see it, George
said Falkner, gloonily.
"You'd manage to pitchforl me and those
two women on Hale's horse and ride away;
that's what you'd do, or l don't know you'll
Look here, Ned" he added, more seriously,
"the only swindling was our bringing that
note here. That was yopr idea. You thought
it would remove suspicion, and as You be-
iieved | was bleeding to death you played
that game for all it was worth to save me-
You might have done what asked you to do
.propped me up in the bushes and got away
yourself was good for couple of shots
yet and after that-what mattered! That
night. the next day, the next time take the
road, or year nence? 1t will come when 1t
will come, all the same:"
He did not speak bitterly, nor relax his
smile. Falllner, without speaking, slid his
their hands remained clasped together for a
few moments in silence.
"How is this to endi We cannot go on
here in this way" said Falkner suddenly.
"If we cannot get away it must go on.
Look here, Ned l don't reckon to take any,
thing out of this house that didn't bring IN
it, or isn't freely offered to me; yet don't,
otherwise, you understand, intend making
myself out id bit better than am.
That's the only excuse have for not making
myself out just what / am | don't know
the fellow who's obliged to tell every one the
last company he was in or the last thing he
did! Do you suppose even these pretty little
women tell us their whole story2 Do You
fancy that this st. John in the wilderness is
canonized in his family? Perhaps, when /
take the liberty to intrude in his affairs, as
he has in mine, he'd see he isn't l don't
blame you for being sensitive, Ned. It's
natural. When man lives outside the re-
vised statutes of his own state he is apt to be
awfully fine on points of etiquette in his own
household. As for me, find it rather COM
Portable here. The beds of other peoples
making strike me as being more satisfactory
than my own. Good night
In few moments he was sleeping the
peaceful sleep of that youth which seemed to
be his own dominant quality. Falkner stood
for little space and watched him, following
the boyish lines Of his cheek on the pillow,
from the shadow of the light brown lashes
under his closed lids to the lifting of his short
upper lip over his white teeth with his regu-
lar respiration. Only a sharp accenting of
the line of nostril and jaw and faint de-
preston of the temple betrayed his already
tried manhood.
The house had long sunk to repose when
Fallxner returned to tho window, and re-
manned looking out upon the storm. Sud
denly he extinguised tho light, and passing
quickly to the bed laid his hand upon the
sleeper. Lee opened his eyes instantly.
"Are you awaken
Perfectly"
Somebody is trying to get into the house"
"Not him, chg said Lee gayly.
"No; two men Mexicans, think. One
looks like Manuel"
"Ah," said Lee, drawing himself UP to
sitting posture.
"Wellw
Don't you sect He believes the women
are alone"
"The dog--d-d hound!"
"Speak respectfully of one of my people,
if YOU please, and hand me my derringer.
Light the candle again and open the door.
Let them get in quietly. They'll come here
first. It's his room, you understand, and if
there's any money it's here. Any way, they
must pass here to get to the womens rooms.
Leave Manuel to me and you take care of
the other"
II see"
manuel knows the house and will come
first. When he's fairly in the room shut the
door and go for the other. But no noise.
This is just one of the sweetest things out
if it's done properly"
"But you, Georger
'If couldn't manage that fellow without
turning down the bedclothes I'd kick myself.
Hush. Steady now"
| He lay down and shut his eyes as if in
natural repoSe Only his right hand, care
! lessly placed under his pillow, closed on the
handle of his pistol Falkner quietly slipped
| into the passage. The light of the candle
| family illuminated the floor and opposite
wall, but left it on either side in pitchy OBJ
scurity
| For some moments the silence was broken
only by the sound of the rain without. The
recumbent figure in bed seemed to have &c
tually succumbed to sleep The multitude
nous small noises of house in repose might
have been misinterpreted by ears less keen
than the sleeper's; but when the apparent
| creaking of far off shutter was followed by
the sliding apparition of a dark head of tan
gled hair at the door Lee had not been de-
ceived, and was prepared as If he had seen it
Another step and the figure entered the room
/ The door closed instantly behind it The
sound of heavy body struggling against the
partition outside followed, and then suddenly
ceased.
The intruder turned and violently graSped
the handle of the door, but recoiled at quiet
voice from the bed
"Drcp that, and come here"
he started back with IN exclamation. The